Kael followed the hooded woman through the underground city, his sharp eyes scanning every detail. The Obsidian Veil was unlike anything he had ever seen—a hidden empire built on knowledge, shadows, and whispers.
As they moved through narrow pathways lit by glowing lanterns, Kael noticed the people of the Veil watching him. Some with curiosity. Others with caution. A few with silent recognition.
"They know who I am," Kael realized.
The woman guiding him finally stopped before an arched doorway of black stone, marked with the same glowing sigils he had seen at the entrance.
"Enter," she said, her voice emotionless.
Kael stepped inside.
The Keeper's Chamber
The room was dimly lit, lined with ancient scrolls, weapons, and strange artifacts. In the center sat an elderly man in black robes, his silver eyes piercing through the gloom.
Kael immediately sensed something was… off. The air around this man felt heavier—as if the shadows themselves bent to his will.
"Kael Veyne," the elder said, his voice calm yet carrying immense weight. "You survived what should have been your death. Tell me… what did they do to you?"
Kael's jaw tightened. "You tell me."
The elder smirked. He slowly lifted his hand, and the shadows in the room shifted unnaturally, reacting to his will.
"You carry the mark of the Eclipsed Bloodline," the elder said. "A power that should not exist in this era."
Kael's pulse quickened. Eclipsed Bloodline?
"Your abilities—your connection to the dark—are not simply an accident of survival," the elder continued. "They were meant to be controlled, but something went wrong."
Kael's mind raced back to his betrayal, the experiments, the whispers in his mind.
"What am I?" Kael asked, his voice dangerously low.
The elder leaned forward, his silver eyes glowing faintly.
"That depends," he said. "Do you wish to be the hunter… or remain the hunted?"
Kael clenched his fists.
There was no question.
"Teach me."
The elder smiled. "Then let us begin."
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